


The Hands Dealt

by patwrites



Category: Avengers infinity war - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Angst, BFFs, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I have no knowledge of marvel except for the movies, LMAO, M/M, Peter Parker Stark - Freeform, Pre-Slash, Stephen Strange is dead now Tony Stark is my master, Stephen calls it Levi and refers to it as 'he', Thanos is purple ass bitch and deserves to die, Tony Stark & The Cloak of Levitation, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony calls the cloak Cloak like it's its name, Tony-centric, both Tony and Stephen's pov, i said what i said, infinity war fix-it of sorts, iron dad & spider son, major character deaths but they come back because I said so, not really delving into the IronStrange that much, so there may be some inaccuracies, subtleties, yaaas baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 04:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patwrites/pseuds/patwrites
Summary: In all 14,000,605 futures Stephen saw with the help of the Eye, only 1 of them guaranteed their success against Thanos. When he noticed the one, insignificant detail that literally decided the fate of the universe, he wanted to laugh at himself for not noticing it sooner. Now, everything lay in the hands of Tony Stark and the Cloak of Levitation for whatever reason.





	The Hands Dealt

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even my soul since I've sold it to Marvel long ago. Some details or quotes might be wrong because I only saw the movie once at the cinema when it came out and I have a shit memory.

Have you ever felt hope slowly but surely draining from your body? Stephen Strange has and let him tell you, it's not pleasant at all. The more he looked into the future with the help of the Eye, the less hope he had and the more despair settled in. 14,000,604 futures and they won in neither. Every single time they either won for a short while only for Thanos to come back and bite them in the ass, throwing their efforts out of the window like it was nothing, either they lost from the very beginning. Every time it seemed like things were going their way and there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel, they lost. Sure, they all fought bravely to their last breaths, but in the end it was pointless because it made no difference.

Stephen had to watch those people he had considered strangers get killed or sacrifice themselves for someone else countless times. He saw Peter get crushed to death, choked, sliced in half, sent sprawling across the ground and crack his head open. He saw Tony Stark try to prevent each and every one of those deaths, sometimes getting killed himself in the process, others surviving and going after Thanos as retribution only to be pierced by a blade, have his head ripped from his body by Thanos's bare hands, be chocked to death or simply willed out of existence by the Titan.

Stephen himself died in so many gruesome ways he could no longer keep up with it. He had tried running away with the Time Stone in a few of those futures, but it only seemed to delay the inevitable. Sooner or later Thanos always got his hands on what he was after, and his running away only served to make his death increasingly more painful.

What got to him during his search, was how no matter what future they were in, Tony always saved him at least once from death or harm, despite having met him a few hours beforehand. More than a few times Tony died saving Stephen, taking the final blow in his stead. In the times the eccentric genius survived past Titan he fought on Earth with more grace and determination than everyone else, giving his all and pushing his limits beyond imagination to ensure their success. Of course, he always got killed in the end, but the way with which he fought bravely despite being only human, his selfsacrificing nature without giving it a second thought and the sheer selflessness behind every action made Stephen not only revere the man like he had no other before, but get attached to him and care about his wellbeing.

However, all of that was pointless in the long run if they failed every time regardless of their numbers, determination or bravery. Stephen looked through every future, confused and increasingly more frustrated, trying and failing to identify what they did wrong. In more than a few futures he even tried warning the others about what he had seen, trying to avoid their making certain mistakes with the hope that it would gain them some advantage over Thanos but to no avail.

It was only when he got to the 14,000,605th scenario when everything clicked into place and hope started surging through Stephen once more. At first he was baffled by what he discovered, then he laughed hysterically at the irony of it. Of course, that was what had been missing! Such a minute detail, but one that had literally cost them the war every single time. This time, Stephen saw himself taking the Cloak of Levitation off his shoulders inconspicuously right before the Mad Titan showed up, tucking it safely in a corner, somewhere their foe would not notice it but where Tony would easily find it when all was said and done. He saw Peter Quill's plan unfolding but ultimately failing, the fighting that ensued, the way Tony went toe to toe with Thanos, being the only one among them to manage to draw even a drop of blood from the Titan, and being pierced by his own spear. Then, to Stephen's own surprise, he saw himself asking Thanos to spare Tony's life in exchange for the Time Stone. His future version gave it away without hesitation, saving Tony. He, as expected, was anguished and confused, angry at Stephen for doing something like that for _him_.

But, as Stephen watched more and more of this strange future, everything seemed to fall into place. Every single mismatched puzzle piece found its rightful place and slotted together creating the big picture of their success. Sure, he himself had to die in order to ensure that future, but that was a small price to pay. What made Stephen hesitate for a second, but only one, was the fact that he would consciously sacrifice Tony to make it happen. Not literally, since the man would survive the fight, but the amount of pain and suffering he would have to go through and the things he would have to sacrifice to win against Thanos, was something not even his greatest enemy deserved to endure.

However, once, though it had been mere hours ago it felt like a life time had passed since then, he had told Tony that he wouldn't hesitate to let him or Peter die to ensure the safety of the Stone. Now, to ensure the survival of the Universe and the fall of the Mad Titan, Stephen had to sacrifice Tony's soul. It wasn't easy, and he didn't like it one bit, but it was favourable to losing. And really, knowing Tony, if he knew what Stephen did he would agree with it without thinking.

Thus, mind made up, Stephen broke the connection with the future, returning to their present timeline. His head was swimming with knowledge and his core was more than a little drained, making him sway on the spot. He would have fallen face first into the ground of the foreign planet they were on, had it not been for Tony, who was there in an instant to catch him and steady him.

"You're okay, you're alright," Tony told him, looking at Stephen with concern darkening his brown eyes and creasing his forehead. Stephen looked at him for a second, drinking him in before the beginning of the end came upon them, then broke eye contact. He did what he had to, taking Levi off with a little bargaining and assuring on his part, and tucked it somewhere safe. After that, everything happened according to plan and he made the exchange right before Thanos could kill Tony --he was crucial to their winning the fight after all--, despite the man's protests ( _"Why would you do that"?_ ).

Stephen had to watch the Guardians turn to dust right before his eyes with no little amount of sorrow, but what was probably the hardest thing in his life must have been watching Peter sense his death before it happened, being gripped by fear and the want to cling onto life, begging for Tony to help him and then turn to dust in the end in Tony's arms. Seeing the man clutch his left hand, kissing the ashes of his protege, his son, with tears in his eyes, then look at Stephen with the obvious question in them -- _why?_ \-- downright broke his heart. But he didn't have any time to dwell on it and regret his decision too much because that's when he started to fade away as well.

"It was the only way," Stephen told Tony, both as a reassurance to the man and as a veiled apology for the pain he had put him through and had yet to. "We're in the endgame now." Then he was gone as well, swept away by Thanos's evil power and demented sense of justice, waiting patiently but with complete faith in Tony and his Cloak to bring them back and avenge their deaths.

* * *

  
Tony didn't know what to do with himself. All of those brave people he had fought side by side with for the short amount of time they had been together had turned to dust and vanished from existence just like that. Thanos had got the Stone and was one Stone away from being invincible. But most importantly, he hadn't been able to do the one thing he had vowed --to himself, to the kid and to May-- to do: he hadn't been able to save Peter.

The kid had died in his arms, begging Tony to save him, claiming over and over again like a scratched record that he didn't want to go. The kid couldn't even say the word "die", dammit! He had been so scared and had looked to Tony for answers, for help, for salvation. But Tony could do nothing more than simply hold Peter in his arms for the short moment it took for him to start disintegrating, looking at the boy who had lit his life with a flame so bright and so fierce it had chased away his demons and dark shadows plaguing his nightmares, wishing he could do something, anything to stop it. But he had been powerless, a mere human, just a speck of dust, insignificant in the great vastness of the Universe and had lost the one thing he had vowed not to ever lose.

Strange's parting words had been confusing, but reassuring in an odd way. Tony had no idea what they meant, but he hoped --and wasn't that a strange word considering the situation?-- that the sorcerer had said them to him as a hint that they were on the right path and that this wasn't as hopeless as it seemed. Tony needed to hold onto that hope, clutch it tightly and never let it go, lest he fall into the neverending pit of despair. If he went down there, there would be no turning back and right now, Peter needed him to fix this and bring him back, all of them. There was no rest for the wicked, after all.

After he got his bearings a bit and managed to push his grief somewhere far away at the back of his head, --Peter needed him to have a clear mind to find a solution, not to mourn him-- Tony got up from the ground wincing and groaning in pain and wiped his hands on his dirty pants. He took a look around at the deserted planet, his gaze lingering on the places where the others had stood. A piece of suspiciously familiar red cloth drew his attention so Tony walked up to it, pushing his pain away. He knelt down next to it and touched the cloth softly, only grazing its surface with his fingers. The cloth jumped back in surprise, looking at Tony --and what an incredible feat that was, with no face or body for that matter-- before relaxing just a tad. He realized with surprise that it was Strange's Cloak, the faithful thing that had protected the sorcerer with such fierceness it almost rivaled Tony's.

"Uhm, hi?" he asked, uncertainty evident in his voice. The Cloak nodded slowly, as if suspicious as well. "Are you going to come with me back to Earth or..?"

The Cloak nodded again. It, as well as Tony, startled when a sound that resembled metal hitting ground rang out in the deathly quiet of Titan, and they looked in that direction. From the rubble emerged the blue cyborg chick that had crashlanded earlier during the fight, coughing and swearing. Tony watched as she removed herself from where she had been trapped and looked up sharply directly at him. He waited patiently and just a bit apprehensively for her to speak.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was deep, robotic, menacing but also apprehensive like he felt. Though her skin was blue and what seemed like 70% of her body was metal, Tony didn't find her odd or repulsive. Different, yes. But he worked with different on a daily basis, nothing surprised him anymore.

"Tony Stark. Iron Man. I prefer Tony. And you?"

She looked carefully at him before coming closer until they were face to face, her standing mere inches in front of him. "Nebula, daughter of Thanos." She looked at him like she was expecting something, some kind of lashing out or another negative reaction from him. Tony, though, didn't even bat an eye.

"Daddy issues, huh? I know a little bit about that," he said. Nebula blinked in confusion then schooled her face into neutrality once more.

"You could say that. What are you going to do now?"

 _'That all of our friends and/or family are dead'_ was left unsaid, but it was understood nonetheless.

"Get the hell of this planet and go back home. The fight isn't over, and if that purple scrotum-looking piece of alien shit thinks he's won then he's got another thing coming. Hopefully there are still some heroes left on Earth I can team up with and run this fucker to the ground."

"Do you have a plan for that?"

Tony looked down at his feet, remembering the last 'plan' they had and how it blew in their faces. He didn't blame Quill for his lashing out, not really. Was he angry _his_ plan hadn't worked because _Quill himself_ had blown it? Yes. Did he blame the guy? Never. He knew what it was like to find out someone you loved had been murdered, and Tony had done the same thing with Barnes two years ago. If anything, Tony wished Quill had had the power to channel that rage and grief into offing Thanos for good.

Alas, the deed was done. No reason crying over spilt milk. Now though, it was time to start strategizing, looking into ways to gain the upper hand against the Titan and end this once and for all.

"Not yet. But I have faith once I get back to my home planet I can figure something out," Tony replied. "Or die trying."

"Is that with you?" Nebula pointed at the Cloak who was now hovering behind Tony as if it were protecting him.

"Yeah, I guess it is," he said sadly. The Cloak seemed like more than just a piece of fabric and Tony sensed it, too, was mourning the loss of its master. He would bring it back to Earth and hand it over to that Wong fellow --if he had survived-- since Strange was gone.

"Well, let's figure out how the hell to get off this piece of shit planet," Tony said bringing his hands together and looking through possible ways to put together a ship and get back home.

It took them a while to fix something up but soon they were up in space again, with Nebula manning the ship on the journey back home. The Cloak kept close to Tony at all times, hovering in the air inches away from him, while he and Nebula started talking. At first, it was small talk or them bouncing ideas off each other about how to get home or what they could do once they got there. Then they started going into _**that**_ territory, talking about Thanos with Nebula telling Tony everything she knew about him and possible weaknesses. After that, they settled for talking about their loved ones. It was surprisingly helpful talking about Peter, about his annoyingly bright personality, curious nature and bubbling stream of incessant chatter. He reminisced about all of his fond memories of the kid, the conversation culminating with a healthy bout of tears from both him and the woman.

They didn't delve into their deaths or the sorrow they felt over those people that had meant the world to them, choosing instead to honour their memory by remembering their lives instead. It helped with the grief, especially in the absence of a body to mourn over.

It wasn't surprising, then, that by the time the spacecraft touched upon terran soil Tony had found a reliable and valuable friend in Nebula, a sister of sorts.

Once back home, things became grimmer than they seemed on Titan. So many people had died here, too, and Tony feared Pepper and Rhodey might have as well. Fortunately, fate seemed in a generous mood, and they were both safe and sound. However, hearing Thor's story and receiving the explanation he needed for everyone's deaths made a boulder drop to the pit of Tony's stomach. How could he do anything against this invincible entity when Thor, the God of Thunder himself had failed in that endeavor?

Tony wanted to take a day or two to grieve over his loss, come to terms with what had happened. Nebula and, surprisingly, Cloak, were the ones who pulled him out of his mourning and urged him to get back up and go to war; there were still battles to be fought. So he did just that. He started by tracking down May. Tony hoped he would get the kid back, but in the --unthinkable-- eventuality that that didn't happen, May deserved to know her nephew was gone. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, she was gone as well. It put his mind at rest in a way, because facing May's wrath or worse, a breakdown, was the last thing Tony needed right now.

With that done, he began tracking Wong down. Cloak came to his aid with this one, guiding him to the Sanctum where the other sorcerer hopefully was. Wong was nowhere to be found.

Tony felt an ounce of that hope Strange had given him earlier on Titan leave his body at that. He had hoped Wong would have been able to lend a hand in finding a way to defeat Thanos, but now that he was gone too, what solution was there? Cloak tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at a tome sitting idly on a dusty shelf. Raising an eyebrow, Tony walked up to the shelf and picked it up carefully, fearing it might break apart if he so much as looked at it the wrong way. He set it on a table and opened it, puzzled as he looked at it and tried to make sense of what it was. Nebula hovered over his shoulder, peeking at the writing before stepping back and wandering off.

"Uhm, sorry for my language but what the fuck, Cloak? Do you not have English around here?" Tony asked, still gazing at the peculiar letters --symbols, more like. Cloak shook its head and tapped the book. "Yeah, I get it. This is supposed to help me, but last time I checked I didn't speak sumerian or whatever the hell this is." Clock tapped the book harder. "Ugh, fine! I'll have Friday look at it. Lord knows I'm hopeless," he threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

So he did just that. He took the book back home with him, as well as another fifty more tomes that Cloak helped him pick up from the unguarded Sanctum's extensive library and had Friday decipher the cryptic ones while he and Nebula worked on the English ones. Bruce joined them on the third day, seeing as no one was doing anything else and The Hulk was still pissy for whatever reason, which helped speed things up. Their search --what for even they didn't know but Cloak insisted they keep at it every time they wanted to give up-- seemed hopeless and fruitless. It was only after a week of heavy reading and translating on Friday's part that the solution came to them in the form of a spell.

Tony's initial reaction was disappointment, since they obviously needed a wizard for the spell. Cloak dispelled that in an instant when it pointed at Thor's picture on Friday's feed. He was confused, but decided that what the hell and called Thor up to the workshop where they had been doing the reading.

"What requires my help, brother Anthony?" Thor asked when he stepped inside and looked at the books scattered around.

"Could you, hypothetically speaking, perform a spell?" Tony asked.

"Well," Thor said, confused, "my.. brother was more adequate at sorcery, but mother taught me a bit as well in my youth. I was never particularly interested in the skill, but I know a thing or two about spell-casting, yes. What for?"

"Well, we think we might have a plan to defeat Thanos but it would require someone casting a spell to send two people back in time --or a different timeline, I'm not sure. Do you think you could do that?"

Hope lit up Thor's eyes at Tony's words. "Show me the spell."

Tony picked up the book from the table it had been resting on and handed it over to the Asgardian. He took it with care from Tony's hands, looking at the text with interest and reading the words carefully, brow furrowed in concentration.

"Well," Thor hummed after he was done and set the book down, "I believe I can do it. The spell isn't a hard one, but given my lack of experience I don't think I'll be able to do it for long."

"What won't you be able to do for long, exactly?" Nebula asked.

"Basically the spell is a way to create a portal without those _'sling rings'_ Earth sorcerers use, only this particular portal wouldn't be a gate between physical dimension but rather between timelines. You would be going back in time, but not in this one, our own. You'd be going to a parallel universe of sorts," Thor explained.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do it, Point Break. The sooner we get this over with, the better," Tony urged.

"Wait a second," Nebula interjected. "What is the plan here, Tony? Going back in time is good and all, but once we get there? What then?"

"Hmm, you're right," Bruce spoke up for the first time, startling everyone and attracting their attention. "Thor, Nebula, since you know more about this than the rest of us: would anyone else beside Thanos be able to wield the Gauntlet, if only for a short while?"

"As far as I know, no," Nebula replied, puzzled.

"Actually," Thor supplied, "I think that might be possible. But it would depend on the person. Me, for example, I could wield it and be highly likely to survive. A human, however, or anyone weaker physically than me or Thanos, would almost surely die in the process. The sheer and raw power of the Gauntlet would be too much for the human, in this instance, body to withstand and it would burn the wearer from the inside out."

"I have a plan," Tony announced.

"Tony, no," Nebula said, looking at him and knowing what that look on his face meant.

"Tony, yes. It all makes sense now. Why Strange saved me, why he was so sad when he assured me about the future, don't you get it? Thor can't come and wear the Gauntlet since he's the only one who can perform the spell. I need you to come with me and kill the bastard after I take the Gauntlet off, and the only one who's left to wield it in order to restore everything to how it was is me."

"Tony, there has to be another way we'll figure something out, don't be stupid."

"I'm not being stupid, Neb. I'm just doing what needs to be done in order to defeat this monster and bring my son back!" Tony yelled without meaning to. "Peter needs to come back no matter what! If I have to burn from the inside out to ensure that, then so be it! The world will go on without Tony Stark in it and it will be better off for it. My world, though? It can't exist without Peter there, it just can't. And I haven't fought this hard, I haven't lost so much and come this far only to back out now because of such an insignificant thing like me dying. I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

Nebula looked at Tony, resignation in her eyes. "Fine, have it your way. It's your stupid life, not mine." The sadness was palpable in her voice, though, but no matter how much it broke Tony's heart to hear it, he couldn't _not_ do this. She would mourn him for a while then move on; her family would be back, Peter would be alive and well, everything will go back to the way it was. That's what mattered.

"Alright, Thor, let's do this."

Thor performed the spell, warning them that they would have no more than thirty minutes to do what they had to, and saying his farewells to Tony. For his part, Tony had already come to terms with his death, and so said his goodbye with a light heart for the first time in over a decade, knowing his death would mean something. He and Nebula walked through the portal, landing on Earth, more accurately: Wakanda. If Tony had to guess, they were probably where Thanos had come for Vision and the Mind Stone, right before it happened if his surroundings matched Thor and Rogers' story.

"Let's go," he told Nebula. Cloak was hanging onto his shoulders now, as it had taken to doing for a few days now, stroking his cheeks in a soothing gesture. Tony smiled and bumped his cheek against its collar, feeling sorry for leaving it all alone again after he would die but taking comfort in the fact that Nebula would take it back to Stephen, its rightful owner.

They made their way through the thick Wakandan forest, keeping their footsteps as light as possible in case threats were lurking behind trees and bushes. It didn't take them long to get to the scene, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, but Tony's heart was beating wildly in his chest with anxiety, fearing they wouldn't accomplish their mission in time. They spotted Thanos, hovering over Wanda and a very much alive Vision and witnessed as the Mad Titan crushed Vision's skull as he ripped the Stone from his head. Tony's gut lurched with pain and sorrow as he watched life drain away from Vision's body, slowly turning gray and going limp and lifeless on the ground, the gaping hole in his head painfully obvious.

Then Thor's axe, Stormbreaker, landed in Thanos's chest followed by Thor himself landing in front of the Titan. Seeing that as their chance to strike, Tony looked at Nebula with meaning in his eyes. "Now," he whispered right as his suit assembled around him, save for his left hand, and they launched at the Titan with a war cry.

Tony managed to take Thanos by surprise, incapacitated at the moment as he was, and it was surprisingly easy for him to rip the Gauntlet from his hand.

"Go!" Tony yelled, though unnecessarily so, as he watched Nebula remove Stormbreaker from Thanos's chest and strike a blow right at the base of his neck so fast he barely saw it. The Titan's head fell to the ground with a 'thump' so gracelessly and anticlimactically it made Tony feel vindicated. Thanos didn't deserve a grandiose death, glorious and full of spectacle. Dying like the good for nothing piece of shit that he was, was what he deserved.

Tony allowed himself a second to rejoice before he put the Gauntlet on. Immense, overwhelming power flew through his veins, taking over his body, mind and soul. It took a lot of willpower for Tony to push all of that aside, and with Peter's face at the forefront of his mind he struggled to do what he wanted, bringing everyone back. It was hard, figuring out how exactly to get the Gauntlet to obey his will, but he thought of everyone he needed back, thought of all the nameless and faceless beings that had been wished out of existence and snapped his fingers --they felt so heavy, so lead-like-- before collapsing to his knees. His stomach was lurching, he felt like throwing up. His chest was on fire and it reminded him of Afghanistan and the car battery, his lungs were heavy and uncooperative, reminding him of the drowning in Afghanistan and the Mandarin debacle, but his mind was screaming at him to push through it, he wasn't finished yet.

Tony vaguely heard Nebula's voice somewhere at the back of his mind, yelling at him to let go or something equally stupid but he pushed it aside. He thought of Gamora, the person he had never met but knew like the back of his hand from Neb's stories. He remembered her sister's words, descriptions of her appearance and her personality and wished she were alive. He thought back to 2012, Loki's image popping up into his head. Thor had been so depressed, so hopeless after the loss of his brother and his failure in avenging him had settled in. Thor needed his brother, the Loki he swore had come to his senses and was on their side, the Loki who had died protecting his brother and vowing his loyalty. Tony wished Loki were alive too. He thought of Vision, the would be son if he had had more of Jarvis in him, the being that reminded him of his beloved AI every day. He wished Vision were back, safe and sound, whole again. Then he thought of Thanos, so ugly with hatred and misguided righteousness, selfish and self-entitled, dubbing himself the Savior of the Universe. Tony wished Thanos, in their timeline, were dead.

He snapped his fingers again, screaming at the Gauntlet to obey a second time, then felt his body imploding with unbearable heat and excruciating pain before everything turned black at the snap of a finger.

* * *

  
Stephen woke up with a startle. He looked frantically around, confusion prominent before the memories hit him and he scrambled to his feet. He was in his room at the Sanctum. The window was open and in came a light summer's breeze, swishing the curtain back and forth with a gentle caress. Everything was in place and as he had left it, the room was quiet and peaceful. The atmosphere that greeted Stephen was at odds with what he felt inside of himself. It felt like the events on Titan had been a minute ago.

The sorcerer opened the door and wandered out into the hallway, footsteps light and careful as he made his way downstairs. Voices started to filter in, growing louder and louder as he approached the stairs. Finally, he was at the top of the stairwell when he looked down into the lobby and saw a pack of people huddled together, with something in the middle. Stephen rushed down.

"What's going on? Did it work? Did we win?"

"Strange, that's not important right now. This is," Wong spoke up, looking at Stephen with meaning.

The group noticed his presence and stepped back, save for three --rather two and a certain Cloak-- people. Nebula and Peter were kneeling by Tony's still body, with Levi wrapped around him in a protective grip.

"What happened?" Stephen asked, though he had an idea. He hadn't watched past the moment Tony got a hold of the Gauntlet and Nebula cut Thanos's head off, so he didn't really know what Tony had done exactly.

"He wore the Gauntlet to bring us back. All of us," Loki spoke from his place at his brother's side, looking in bewilderment at Tony.

"I told him to let go of it after he used it the first time, but the idiot didn't listen! He used it again!" Nebula ground out, voice cold and steely.

"He must have done it to bring us back too," Gamora added.

"He's not dead!" Peter exclaimed confidently, but it seemed more like a reassurance for himself than actual fact. "He's just been affected by it, that's all. Mr. Stark can't be killed that easily."

"Let me look at him," Stephen demanded. He was feeling cold all over, guilt and fear gripping at his soul, threatening to end him right then and there. No, it couldn't be. Tony had survived, he had been sure of it! But.. he hadn't looked at everything, not until the very end, at the aftermath. He had just assumed that Thanos's death was the end and that was it. But of course Tony sacrificed himself once again. The thought that Stephen had sent Tony off to his own death made him loathe himself.

Stephen knelt down beside Tony's unmoving body and leaned down to listen for any sign of breathing. At first, he felt nothing but then a small tickling puff of air, so soft it was almost unnoticeable, traced his skin. The man sighed in relief. He straightened up then brought his hands over Tony's body, focusing on him and channeling his thoughts on repairing some of the damage that had been done. It took a while and by the end of it Stephen was left completely drained for a week or two at the very least, but it was worth it when he saw Tony's chest rising and falling more easily now, his breathing stronger and steadier. He still didn't wake up, though, but that was to be expected --and probably for the better, too.

"He is in a coma for now. His body needs to heal itself and I believe it is best for him to be unconscious while that happens," Stephen answered Peter and Nebula's unanswered question. They both nodded, relief clear on both of their faces. He stood up and looked at Levi expectantly but he didn't budge.

"Are you coming or what?" the sorcerer raised an eyebrow. Levi shook his collar fiercely. "Well, okay then. He can have you until he gets better if that's what you want." Levi nodded.

"So what happened to the Gauntlet?" he asked as he turned to look at the group.

"Thor and Wanda combined their powers to destroy it once Nebula and Tony returned with it," Bruce answered from his place at Thor's other side. The scientist smiled at the Asgardian, who in turn squeezed his waist tighter and brought him closer to his body. Huh, _that_ Stephen had not seen coming.

"Alright. Well, Tony needs to be hospitalized until his body heals, and I know just the person to be in charge of it."

"Do I even want to know, Stephen?" Christine asked once she looked at Tony's body.

"Superhero stuff."

"Uh huh. Fine, take him to room 5. I'll see him in a bit."

"You're the best, Christine," Stephen shouted at her retreating back. He levitated Tony's body to the assigned room, setting him gently on the hospital bed as Peter and Nebula trailed behind. He stepped out of the room for a bit, going out into the hall to look at the usual hustle and bustle of the hospital and gaze outside the window at newyorkers going about their day like usual. It had stunned Stephen at first, to see that not only had Tony brought back all of them, even those three who hadn't died because of the snap, but he had also restored the world to its previous state, before Ebony Maw arrived and started wreaking havoc upon the world. No one except for the Avengers, the Guardians and himself seemed to remember anything at all about the fight, about Thanos, about any of it. Strangely enough, no one could recall anything from their time away from life and they still weren't sure if that was natural or Tony's will.

Looking back on it now, though, Stephen shouldn't have been surprised at all by Tony's decision. He knew what kind of person the man was, and it was in his blood to endanger himself for something like this, just to spare the world as if saving it hadn't been enough.

Stephen knew now why Tony had been so reckless with the Gauntlet: he had thought he would die. So, obviously, had thought that what the hell? he was dying anyway, might as well take advantage of it. Stephen had never been so grateful to Levi before in his life as when he heard from Nebula that he had held on for dear life to Tony's body, absorbing some of the power emanated by the Gauntlet which managed to buy him some time until Stephen tended to him. A few more minutes and Tony would have died.

Now, Stephen could no nothing more than wait for Tony's body to heal itself and for him to come to.

* * *

  
"Why is everything so bright? And why does my mouth feel like I've eaten a gallon of sand?" were Tony's first words when he woke up from a two month long coma. His neck was sore and his muscles felt like wood or cardboard, but seeing Peter's sleepy and startled face erased all of that. The kid scrambled to his feet in his excitement, knocking back his chair in his haste.

"Mr. Stark!" he yelled and launched himself at Tony's body, hugging him so tightly Tony feared he would crack a rib.

"Hey there, Underoos," he rasped. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes and spilled over his cheeks silently as the kid tightened his already tight grip. Tony felt wetness on his shoulder and Peter's body shaking.

"I knew you were alive, Mr. Stark. I knew it. I told everyone you were stronger than a stupid glove but they wouldn't listen. Turns out I was right," he mumbled in Tony's shirt then pulled away briefly to flash him a teary but bright smile. Tony felt his entire world light up at the sight of it, and this time he was the one who pulled Peter closer and almost crushed the kid in his grip.

"God, I love you, Peter. Never forget that." There, he said it. No more hiding behind _'That wasn't a hug, I was just..'_ or _'I'm just your mentor'_. Peter was his son as much as any biological progeny of his would, and it was high time he let the kid know.

"I love you too, dad."

The words hit Tony like a brick wall to the face and he pulled Peter away a bit in shock. "What did you just call me?"

"Dad..?" Peter asked uncertainly. "Was that too much? Cause I can take it back, Mr. Stark, if you want to. We can forget it ever happ-"

"Shut up, Peter, you talk too much. Yes, you can call me that. But are you sure? I don't want to take your parents' places or Ben's or even May's."

"Yes, I'm sure. Richard is my bio dad, and uncle Ben is uncle Ben, but you're my soul dad."

Fresh tears spilled over and Tony sobbed with a huge smile on his face. "So that means I can legally adopt you?"

Peter nodded excitedly. "If you want to, yes!"

"Alright, I'll talk to May after I get out of here then."

"Hm hm," Nebula cleared her throat from her place at the foot of the bed. "Sorry to interrupt the emotional exchange, but I want to smack my brother from another planet across the head for almost dying."

"Awe, I love you too, Neb," Tony said, extending his arms in an invitation for a hug. The woman accepted it, only a bit reluctantly.

"Either of you mentions this and you're dead," she threatened after she pulled away.

"We have a lot to catch up to, but I've gotta ask, why is Cloak here?" Tony asked, only now noticing Cloak wrapped around his body. It wiggled a bit in greeting but otherwise stayed there, only caressing his cheek softly now.

"It got attached. It hasn't left your side in two months."

" _ **T** **wo months?!**_ " Tony exclaimed. "Damn."

"Indeed," Stephen Strange said as he stepped out of the portal that had appeared in the middle of the hospital room. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Stark."

"Oh quit it with the Mr. Stark bullshit. I've just got the kid to stop calling me that, I don't need you to take his place."

"Then it's good to see you, Tony," Strange said with a smile. He stepped closer to his bed and looked at him with something unknown in his eyes.

"You too, Dr. Strange."

"Stephen, please."

"Stephen."

"Alright, I'm out of here," Peter said, throwing Stephen a meaningful look before heading for the door.

"Me too," Nebula announced and followed Peter out.

"What just happened?" Tony asked, confused.

"I'll tell you later," Stephen replied. "Now, can I have my Cloak back, please?" he asked, the question more aimed at Cloak rather than him. Cloak for its part didn't seem willing to let go just yet, and shook its collar.

"Fine, but you've gotta leave his side at some point," Stephen sighed. Cloak bristled at his words, as if saying _'try me'_. Tony felt fondness rise in his chest at the gesture, overwhelmed by the devotion Cloak showed him.

"I hear I saved the world or something. Do you happen to know anything about that?" Tony asked, grinning.

"Hmm, I don't think so. I don't recall. Neither does the rest of the population for that matter," Stephen replied, punctuating the last bit.

"Oh don't get on my case about that!"

They continued to bicker like that for a bit before Dr. Palmer walked in to check up on him and later release him. People came and went, thanking Tony for his sacrifice, apologizing (Team Cap, looking at you) for any past deeds, and of course Rhodey and Pepper had to yell his ear off and threaten to kill him for almost dying. ( _"But wouldn't that be counterproductive? Ouch, stop hitting me, Pepper, I've saved the world."_ )

Later in the week Stephen showed up at his doorstep with Chinese, asking to spend some time and talk about what had happened back on Titan. Thanos and their 'Infinity War' was their topic of conversation at first, which later turned into more personal and lighthearted subjects alike, then into simply getting to know each other. That's around the time when their hangouts turned into dates, their friendship turned into relationship.

Tony also talked to May about adopting Peter, and making him Peter Parker Stark, which was received well. Of course, a thousand and one death threats were thrown his way if anything ever happened to the kid before she accepted and signed the papers the next day, making Peter officially a Stark. The kid started visiting more, choosing to continue living with May until he graduated from high school, and they went out on fun trips or hung out either in the workshop or in the living room, watching a movie, playing a video game, trying to cook or bake. If Tony sometimes stared at Peter too intensely or hugged him for too long, the teenager never mentioned it, and instead held on just as tightly or smiled brightly at him and maintained eye contact.

Life, for the first time in a long time, was good for Tony Stark.

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely hope this turned out okay and that you guys like it. I didn't delve too much into the IronStrange and for that I apologize to anyone who might have wanted something more, but it just didn't feel right to do any more than that. I wanted this to be more Tony-centric.
> 
> Kudos, comments are appreciated. You can yell at me about Marvel, about my fic or anything really here or @armoredavengers on Tumblr.


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